I Have Old Implants from 1987 Should I Have Them Out?

Thank you for the question.

I would suggest that you do either an MRI to rule out leakage of the silicone breast implants placed in 1987  or have them removed altogether.

Generally speaking what breasts look like after explantation  depends on several factors such as: the quality of skin elasticity (the better the elasticity the better the skin will bounce back),  the size of the implants used (the larger the implant the more trouble you may have with redundant skin), and the amount of breast tissue present at this time (which may have changed since the time of your breast augmentation). 

Life experience since your breast augmentation procedure, such as pregnancy or weight gain weight loss, will  potentially influence the factors discussed above. If you take these factors into consideration and apply them  to your specific circumstances you may get a good idea of what to expect if you choose to have the breast implants removed.

Consultation with a well experienced board-certified plastic surgeon may be helpful to you.

Best wishes.

Removal of breast implants, intact or ruptured, may have positive implications if patients are symptomatic. A constellation of symptoms associated with breast implant illness, and autoimmune disease are considered when treating patients who have breast implants and are concerned about foreign body reaction. In our office, we begin this journey with a consideration of symptoms and exclusion of obvious autoimmune problems. In many of our patients, en bloc removal of breast implants with capsulectomy is important and beneficial. Further clinical evidence about breast implant illness is evolving and will continue to guide treatment. I would suggest removal if there is a possibility of foreign body reaction.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

I have two thoughts about that:   First, as we say in the South, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."  I have seen many of my father's patients who have had silicone gel implants for 30+ years with no problems.  On the flip side of that coin, I tell patients that it is easier to remove or change out old implants before they break rather than waiting until after they break.  When those old silicone gel implants break, the gel may come out as long gooey strands of silicone gel which is a mess for us to deal with.  We can get it out without any problem but it tends to make our gloves and instruments sticky.  The newer silicone gel implants are much more cohesive and therefore tend to come out as a single lump rather than long strands if they break.  If you choose to remove your old implants, you have the option of replacing them with newer cohesive silicone gel implants, saline implants, or simply leaving them out altogether.